He has no qualms in admitting that the longer format of the game bores him. When your second name is Bolt, it is a given that anything fast pace will attract you. Sadiki Bolt, half-brother of Usain Bolt, the fastest man on earth does sprint at a scorching pace and a running track is hardly a place where you will find him, but if you’re at cricket ground in Kingston, you are more than likely to bump into him.
The two have common interests, common friends and hang out together whenever in Jamaica, but what separates them is their vastly different careers. While Usain, the biggest attraction of Rio Games is set to unleash fury after a season marred by a hamstring injury, Sadiki is trying to make a mark and earn a regular spot for the Jamaica cricket team or the more popular CPL team, the Jamaica Tallawahs after making it to their selection trials.
Sadiki trains at the Melbourne Cricket Club, which produced Michael Holding and Courtney Walsh. Though the centre wicket is a concrete track and the outfield anything but green, it is a still a route towards the world of T20 leagues. “Ours is a dominant club. We have won many one-day tournaments, so now is the time to catch up on the two-day format. I like the shorter version more. It keeps me thinking and busy. To me four-day and Test cricket is ultimate, but I get bored easily. T20 cricket is fast.”
As a kid, Sadiki took liking to cricket thanks to his passionate father. “I come from a cricketing background. My mother, father and brother watched cricket. My father is always watching cricket on the television. I sat and watched and that was my first step. I started off by playing cricket on the streets and later for my school.”
Usain remains unconquered on the tracks, but when it comes to cricket, Sadiki is the best the family has. “In cricket, I am the dominant one and in track and field, he (Usain) is the real boss. I always dominate in cricket, but he is a good bowler. He has pace and can irritate batsmen. He is a good little talent,” says the cheeky younger brother.
Despite being busy and touring the world, Sadiki says Usain always manages to find time for cricket. “We talk about a lot of stuff. We watch cricket together. We watched West Indies' last T20 together. We talk about the greats of the game. If we are not watching a game together and he likes a shot, he rings me and tells me about it. Even if we are not in the same place, we still have conversations about the game. Cricket is in our genes.”
Ask him if being the brother of the most decorated athlete adds pressure and Sadiki, who is expecting the question throughout the conversation, calmly says there is none. We talk about a lot of stuff. We watch cricket together. We watched West Indies' last T20 together. “It is strictly motivation, man! It is an honour to see him do what he has done; from where he has come and where he has reached right now. I am very proud of him. There is no pressure but motivation (to be as successful).
Now that the Rio Games are underway, the world is anxiously waiting to see if the sprint king can complete a treble of triple by winning the 100m, 200 m and 4x100 m relay and become the first man to do so. Sadiki is confident that his brother will create history. “I talked to him yesterday and a couple of weeks ago too. I can't tell you what we talked, but was just checking up on him; how he is training and practicing and he said he is fine.
“Injury or no injury, my brother is a fierce competitor. Regardless of that, he is going to be at his best. I am not worried about that. He likes to win. I want to see him on the podium.”
